Huge Dannevirke crowd watches classic rugby derby for Hunter Shield

Aotea's loosie Tyler Goodwin was constantly on the ball.

The biggest crowd at Dannevirke's Rugby Park in a very long time on Saturday June 13 witnessed a titanic battle and classic rugby match between Dannevirke Sports Club Seniors and Aotea, at stake being the Hunter Shield.

It was a very even contest with the game being split into four quarters and no one in the crowd was game enough to predict the result early in the fourth. In the end Aotea retained the Hunter Shield 43-25 but Dannevirke led in both the first two quarters.

The Rugby Park grandstand was almost full and cars lined the ground.

The game started with penalties to each team but 10 minutes in Aotea showed its potential with probably the best try of the match, forwards and backs linking in a 50m surge to put Tama Petera into the corner.

Dannevirke Sports forwards then drove hard putting on some consistent pressure for lock Taylor Lowe to score.

With a 10-8 lead after the first quarter Dannevirke Sports took advantage of an Aotea yellow card to put Trent Ransom in after strong forward effort. A high kick by first-five Gillis Chase bounced kindly for winger Sam Jones to score in the corner taking its lead out to 20-8 at the end of the second quarter.

Aotea started strongly in the third quarter flanker Tyler Goodwin running the blind to score. With the conversion by Hoera Stephenson narrowing the gap, Aotea took the lead when Stephenson chipped a kick for second-five Zamaya Lilo to score under the posts.

The momentum was maintained when a passing movement with a double round by Waka Petera resulted in a try in the corner and with a side-line conversion Aotea took a lead of 29-20 into the fourth quarter.

This became 36-20 with a high ball yielding a try by the posts to Aotea but Dannevirke Sports were not out of it.

The Dannevirke Sports pack had toiled hard all match and half-back Isaac Scott scored a solo try off the back of the scrum after sustained pressure on the line. Dannevirke Sports applied more pressure but a backline passing movement with a two-player overlap was intercepted by Tama Petera who ran 80m to score taking the game beyond Dannevirke Sport's reach.

After waiting so long to see a live game of senior rugby the huge crowd – in excess of 500 – was not disappointed. The ground was in superb order, the sun shone, the rugby sparkled.

Aotea face Waipawa at Waipawa next week (June 20) in their first game of the Hawke's Bay Premier Two competition, coaches Gerrard Stephenson and Carl Withey very happy with the team's first hit-out retaining the Hunter Shield.

For Dannevirke Sports playing in the Manawatu Premier Two competition matches start June 27. Coaches Nigel Castles and Graeme McNair should not be despondent after the match as the team played well, the bounce of the ball and the rare talent of Aotea's backline making the difference.